March 20, 2011

In the category of those whiskey cocktails served up, the Algonquin is one of the greats. It's named after the Algonquin Hotel in Manhattan, where in the pre-Prohibition days some of the city's literary elite would meet for lunch and drink this mix. The Algonquin is a refreshing balance of sweet, tart, and spice (from the rye). It's a classy cocktail; try one instead of ordering a Manhattan next time your out.

One of the fun things about the recipe is the room to tailor it, slightly, to suit your palate.

You'll see that many recipes call for either rye whiskey or blended whiskey. In my mind, a bourbon with a high rye content works the best - something like a Buffalo Trace or an Old Grand Dad. My personal recipe:

Srart with a baseline recipe and then tweak it as you see fit. My personal recipe took a handful of small fixes before I was done. Believe me it was arduous work. Whatever ratio or whiskey you use, be sure to stir the ingredients in a shaker. If you shake it, the pineapple juice will get all foamy and make for a sloppy drink. I garnish mine with a peel of orange, which adds the perfect note of subtle citrusy sweetness. If you really want to exhaust all options before deciding on your opwn recipe, try a dash of orange bitters instead of the peel. After all, making a drink should be almost as fun as drinking it.

March 6, 2011

It's been a while since I've written about a cocktail recipe. The Mint Juelp is a handy recipe to know as knowing just a few simple techniques will make a significant difference in your creation of it. Always use crushed ice, pour whichever bourbon you prefer, and remember that the Mint Julep is designed to drink pretty quickly.

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